The superstar talks about his latest Neeraj Pandey film…

Akshay Kumar is a no-nonsense man. Reticent and hesitant, you hardly get him talking unless he’s totally on the go! But when he’s in his spirits, he can be the funniest to talk to. You ask him anything and he has an answer to everything. Almost EVERYTHING. Visibly excited about his upcoming release Baby, Akshay talks to us over simmering cups of coffee.

He bonds with a particular set of directors whom he keeps on repeating with his films. Is it a conscious thing? ‘No’, Akki claims. “We bond because the directors are making the kind of films I want to work in. That is what has happened. There’s nothing else in it. I did Waqt, Namastey London, Singh Is King, Aakhen, Action Replay and Holiday with Vipul and same with Neeraj. There’s a sense of compatibility with their films”, he explained.

Baby has a lot of gruelling action sequences, ones which have used the Octocopter drone to shoot the scenes. “It was a fantastic experience. With the Octocopter drone you can get some fantastic shots because that’s the thing what other cameras cannot do and it goes higher than you can imagine. You get great eagles points of view. While shooting for chase sequences, the camera comes behind you without anyone running. Technology helps a lot”, Akshay continued, claiming that the action sequences in Baby is far more real than any of his other films. “The action in Baby is very real and it does not go above the character. It is not like one person is hitting 15 to 20 people which is impossible in real life. Here, you see the man only going against one guy or at the max, a small group of guys which is plausible in real life too”.

Although Baby has opened to great reviews with Akshay showered with compliments from everywhere, the actor maintains a strong stance. ‘There was no need to research’, he said. “In fact Neeraj Pandey told me to not research as he has done all the research. I took little training for action but I have always done action throughout the career. I practised 4 to 5 days at Abu Dhabi where we have shot the major chunks of action in the film”

The actor who usually comes up with some masala potboilers and action comedies have started breaking his own stereotype, pushing himself beyond the boundary line. Calling it a ‘deliberate attempt, Akshay says, “I want to do more realistic cinema because I have started enjoying this type of film”. But does that mean commercial films will be given a miss? “Definitely not”, shuns Akshay. “I don’t want to miss out on a Housefull 3 kind of film as they are very much into the commercial slapstick space and the kind of films children love”, our Khiladi signed off.

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/akshay-kumar-i-want-to-do-more-realistic-cinema-like-baby/feed/2Rannvijay Singh: I did Pukaar because it was being made like a film!http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/rannvijay-singh-i-did-pukaar-because-it-was-being-made-like-a-film/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/rannvijay-singh-i-did-pukaar-because-it-was-being-made-like-a-film/#commentsThu, 20 Nov 2014 07:10:27 +0000Namrata Thakkerhttp://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=415946

Yes! And that’s one of the reasons why Rannvijay agreed to be part of Pukaar. Otherwise the 3 A.M. actor was never going to act in a fiction television show…

Rannvijay Singh Singha has hosted reality shows and acted in quite a few films. Though he is a popular face, the Roadies host still has a long way to go as far as Bollywood is concerned. Yes, he has few films lined up but for now the good looking actor is gearing up for his first fiction show Pukaar: Call For The Hero. The action show which is directed by Vipul Shah will go on air from November 24. So we decided to catch up Rannvijay and after pursuing him for almost a week, we finally got through him…

You were supposed to join Indian army but destiny had other plans for you. Interestingly, in Pukaar you play an army officer Rajveer Shergill, so do you think life has come full circle with this show?

It has…it’s like homecoming for me. My father is still serving the Indian Army. He is a Lieutenant General and he is serving in Syria. My chacha is a Major General and my younger chacha is Colonel. So it seems like all their desires and wishes have been granted and I am getting to live an army officer’s life at least briefly. The fact is that I do know all the nitty gritties that goes into being an army officer and that is what has helped me in playing this character.

Do you think your family will be most critical about you show?

My family is anyways critical about everything I do. But at the same time none of them are from the industry so they kind of respect all the hard work that I have put in but in this case they might come up with, ‘you know this is not possible’ or ‘aise thodi na hota hai.’ They may say you should have done this or you should have used that language. You know army officers usually speak a lot in English. But the thing is as soon as I start doing that with my character, I will be alienating a lot of people who don’t understand that. So sometimes when you’re doing a show which is made for entertainment, you need to make sure that people understand what you’re doing or saying. I don’t know if army officers talk like my character Rajveer Shergill does in the show but then that’s only because we want the audience to understand what we are trying to convey. Also, we are not using a lot of lingo which is used in the army and only an army personnel will understand which is fair and my family understands that.

Pukaar is an hard-core action show. So did you undergo any training for the same?

The thing is I have always been very active all my life with martial arts and stuff like that. Last year, I did a show called Rann VJ Run where I practiced Parkour and all my experiences like Roadies and the life that I led before that thanks to my Dad, all of that has been used here. Also, Vipul sir (Vipul Amrutlal Shah) knows me since London Dreams and Action Repalyy days. And he knows my ability to do different things and we have used most of my abilities in a good way during action sequences. Of course, I did lot of cable practices, martial arts flexibility and also spent some time with Vicky Arora who is a martial art fight choreographer. Few days before the shoot, we would choreograph the fight scenes so on the day of shoot it’s less time consuming and easy.

Since you come from an army background and you’re also very active physically, was it easy for you to play the role of Rajveer Shergill?

Having knowledge about anything doesn’t mean it will be easy when you do it. I know how to hit a sixer but in reality to do that it’s tough. You have to put all your knowledge into practice so knowing something is a different thing. There are dialogues which are intense. I have lot of intense scenes with Raj Babbar who is playing my father and even action sequences are tough. But nevertheless, when you do tough things, you feel better, you get a better self satisfaction and you’re happier. But yes it tough. It’s actually a very grueling schedule. If you equate the kind of work we are doing, we are actually shooting 12 films. 24 hours of a movie is being shown in 1 hour episode each. So if you put that together then its 12 full-fledged two hour movies we are shooting in a span of 8 to 9 months. That means we are shooting every day back-to-back. So it’s very intense but we all are consumed by it so it’s good.

For now the show will have 24 episodes but are the makers planning to take things forward and come up with season 2?

That purely depends on Vipul sir and the channel. But yes they are already hinting at season 2 because we are not going to extend the series like other serials. How we are different from the other daily soaps is that our show will have a definite end. The kind of equipment used on the show, the kind of people involved in the show and the scale at which the series has been shot is all larger than life. A lot of movies you see won’t have such production quality and action sequences. So that’s the plan. If we do it in these 24 episodes, we will achieve what we want and then we can go forward and make another season. But we won’t drag it like a daily soap.

Did you watch action shows to prepare for your role?

There is no picking up cues when you’re already working with a guy who has made films like Commando, Holiday and Force. So in the action genre at all different levels Vipul sir is a success. But what I watch generally is like Homeland, Breaking Bad, Modern Family and Prison Break. I like series which are like mini movies because they have great production scale, amazing performance and plot.

Lastly, will you be focusing only on television henceforth or would you be working in films as well?

This is my debut on television fiction. I have never acted on small screen and I was never going to because what you see on Indian television an actor would do it only because it’s a steady source of income and popularity. But as actors they were not satisfied. I did Pukaar because firstly we were making it like a huge film. Even acting and performances are all very natural, film like. Not over the top or dramatic. So that’s why I did it. As for films, 3 A.M. released recently and I am doing another film which is releasing on January 16 it’s called Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene with Zayed Khan. And as soon as Pukaar finishes, few films are lined up for which I will shoot in March and April. Also, I have done a film with Abbas Tyrewala called Mango which has Swara Bhaskar, Monali Thakur and Chandan Roy Sanyal toh wo bhi release hogi. So movies are happening side by side. There are few Punjabi films as well but I have asked them to shoot it with someone else or wait a little bit.

As Holiday earns Rs 100 crores in India, the thrilled producer looks back upon his association with Khiladi Kumar

Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty has minted Rs 102.62 crore in three weeks at the domestic box office and producer Vipul Shah feels ecstatic as his alliance with Hindi movie star Akshay Kumar has once again struck the gold.

Shah-Akshay’s team has delivered four hits – Aankhen, Waqt – Race Against Time, Namastey London and Singh Is Kinng. Their only fiasco so far has been Action Replayy.

Talking about his partnership with Akshay, Shah said: “It has been a fantastic journey with Akshay. Holiday is our sixth film together and four out of five films were successful. What is very important is that all films got a lot of credibility from the audience.”

Their Holiday, about terrorism, in which director AR Murugadoss focussed on sleeper cells and how quietly they merge into their target society before unleashing havoc, came out June 6.

The thrilling drama had new style of action directed by renowned British stuntman Greg Powell, known for his work in Hollywood’s super hit franchises such as Harry Potter and James Bond.

The filmmaker said the successes have helped them in winning a good reputation.

“My relationship with Akshay has reached that stage where we constantly want to do better work together. It has become stronger by the day,” expresses a happy Vipul Shah.

The Central Board of Film Certification has laid down many rules that most of the film fraternity doesn’t agree with. Read on to know more…

In order to curb the directors who aren’t following the implemented directives, the Censor Board has decided to delete partially objectionable scenes instead of blurring them. Not just ‘objectionable’ scenes “inappropriate” dialogues will also be muted in the films now instead of getting beeped.

Vikas Mohan the senior Vice President of the Indian Film and Television Producers Council said, “We have informed our members that due to non-compliance of suggestions by many filmmakers, the CBFC has stopped the practice of blurring objectionable visuals from now on. It means that if CBFC partially objects to a scene or part of a visual in a scene, it will no more be blurred but will be edited out completely.’’ Films like Desh Ishqiya and The Xpose have come under the scanner in the recent past for not following the guidelines laid down by the CBFC. Filmmaker Vipul Amrutlal Shah was the most distressed by the Censon Board’s decision and deemed the same as regressive. Comedy filmmaker David Dhawan thinks that with the onslaught of the new generation and the new cinema, a fresh set of rules need to be laid down. Anurag Kashyap whose films like Gangs of Wasseypur are known to have controversial dialogues and scenes, thinks that the rule about editing out scenes is random as blurring makes more sense.

On the one hand where filmmakers are resenting the Censor Board’s decision, Hate Story 2’s maker Vikram Bhatt feels that the rules must be followed and the directors shouldn’t cheat. It is ironical because in the past Bhatt has been embroiled in a controversy with the CBFC over a song in his film.

We feel that the decision to edit out parts of the film just because they don’t sit well with a section of the Board is senseless as many a times certain crucial plot details are revealed or the story-line is carried forward in those “inappropriate” scenes. Perhaps the Censor Board has a lot of growing up to do, hai na Bollywoodlifers?

The filmmaker says that the film was supposed to be made in Hindi before its Tamil version Thuppakki

Filmmaker Vipul Shah, whose Holiday – A Solider Is Never Off Duty, a remake of Tamil film Thuppakki, is enjoying a successful run at the box office, says remakes are not a new phenomenon.

“It’s not a new trend. It keeps happening. A good film keeps happening in many languages today. It’s a common practice,” Shah told IANS.

“I don’t think remake per se has got any pluses or minuses. If it’s a good film, it gets remade,” he said and added that technically Holiday is not a remake because this was supposed to be made in Hindi first.

Maninderjeet Singh Bitta, chairman of the All India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) stated that Holiday is a film that can and should be watched by people from all age groups

At a press conference here, Bitta Wednesday said he is impressed with the hard work that the actors have put into the film which reflects the uneasy relation between civilians and security forces.

“I have seen it all — bomb-blasts, guns, bullets, and I never had tears in my eyes because of pain. But after watching the film and seeing the hard work done by Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi I could not stop my tears,” Bitta told reporters here.

Bitta is seeking tax exemption for the film, and wants it to reach everyone, irrespective of age and class.

“The biggest task is to take this film to one and all, to each and every student of the country. Everyone should be able to watch the film and it should be made tax-free because the film is capable of making people aware of global terrorism and their duty to the nation,” said Bitta.

“In a country like India, one might have to take rebirth to create such an awareness against terrorism which this film can do. People of all age groups should watch this film,” he added.

The film is presented by Reliance Entertainment and produced by Vipul Shah.

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/ms-bitta-people-of-all-age-groups-should-watch-holiday/feed/0Akshay Kumar: We should not take people who wear uniform for granted!http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news/akshay-kumar-we-should-not-take-people-who-wear-uniform-for-granted/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news/akshay-kumar-we-should-not-take-people-who-wear-uniform-for-granted/#commentsWed, 04 Jun 2014 12:04:54 +0000Prathamesh Jadhav | IANShttp://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=354671

The Holiday actor maintains that it is very essential that we respect any form of uniform!

Akshay Kumar, who is gearing up for the release of his new film Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, says he’s more bothered about the people’s reaction to the film than its box office performance.

On being asked about people’s expectations from the film, the actor said: “Let’s not talk about the expectations from the film. It is a very serious film and dedicated to the Indian Army.

“I’m not talking about the business, whether it (‘Holiday…’) will earn Rs.100 crore or Rs.50 crore…I’m more interested in how people take this film and how seriously they talk about the film.”

The 46-year-old, who has worked in numerous Bollywood films, has given two Rs.100 crore blockbusters – Housefull 2 and Rowdy Rathore. But from Holiday…, he expects that every person who watches it respects every person in uniform.

“It (the film) has lot of issues and causes for which every youngster, every Indian should watch it and understand,” the actor, who plays a dedicated army officer, said.

“We should not take people who wear uniform for granted. Even a traffic police officer, who is standing outside and controlling the traffic…we should not take him for granted. I think it is very essential that we respect any form of uniform,” he added.

Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, produced by Vipul Shah and directed by A.R. Murugadoss, features Sonakshi Sinha as the female lead.

Filmmaker Vipul Shah attributes his success to his wife Shefali Shah and says that they don’t mix their personal and professional life

When asked when do we see him directing Shefali, a versatile actor, he said: “I will approach her only if I have something that will justify her as an actor. Besides, we both don’t mix our personal and professional life.”

“I think that unless and until you have a strong support system, you can’t achieve what you are set out to. She has been very solid with me, she stood by me. Had she not supported me, I don’t think I would have been able to do whatever I am trying to do. Her contribution has been immense,” he added.

Right now Vipul is busy promoting his Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty. Directed by AR Murugadoss, the film featuring Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha in the lead roles will hit the screens on Friday. As far as future plans go, reports indicated that Shah will be directing theNamastey London sequel soon.

When asked about the same, he said: “I am not too sure about Namastey London sequel or some other film will go on floor. This year or early next year I will be starting my own film.”

Akki believes that small or big, one needs to be cautious while doing any stunt as it can be fatal

Akshay Kumar has jumped off a building’s terrace and engaged in a violent fist fight for his forthcoming film Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty. But he believes that small or big, one needs to be cautious while doing any stunt as it can be fatal.

When asked if agile body, sharp memory and rational mind are required for doing risky scenes, he told in an interview: “I agree, but it’s not just for difficult stunts. Even a small jump from a stool requires all of that. We can’t take small stunts for granted because the biggest stunt doesn’t get you hurt. It’s the small stunt that can kill you.”

For the forthcoming actioner, directed by A.R. Murugadoss, the makers roped in popular British stuntman Greg Powell, known for his work in Hollywood’s super hit franchises such as Harry Potter and James Bond, to ensure that each stunt is executed well. And Akshay says that the action sequences will certainly surprise the audience.

“My director loves realism. That’s why when you will see the fight sequences, you will be surprised. It’s all real fight. I got to do AKIRU (a form of martial art),” said the 46-year-old, who plays an army officer in the film.

The realism doesn’t end with a few action moves. He says that the entire movie, shot in Mumbai and the capital, was filmed outside studios.

“We have not even entered a studio for the film. All were shot in real locations. The director refused to go near studio for the film. It was great working on real locations because it’s not easy when public is there but we did manage everything,” said Akshay.

He goes on to say that even when the film’s producer Vipul Shah suggested to shoot in a studio with a fake ship, Murugadoss refused.

“We did a climax on a ship. The director wanted to shoot on a real ship. It was little difficult to get permission to shoot on ship but we got it for a few days,” said the actor, who has often collaborated with Shah.

The two came together and gave blockbusters like Waqt – Race Against Time, Singh is Kinng and Namastey London.“The kind of films he (Shah) makes is the kind that I also like. We get along very well. That’s why we succeeded in making six to seven films by now,” said Akshay.

Akshay may lead the cast of the film, but he feels Murugadoss is the hero of Holiday….

Akshay is all praise for the Ghajini director and gives a lot of credit to the latter for the way the movie has come out. “I met them (police officials and families) for a while but Murugadoss has been in touch with them for the last three years and tried to get whatever he could to incorporate in the film, so he did more homework than all of us put together,” he said.

“The whole film is dedicated to the Indian Army. The subject i.e sleeper cells that’s the highlight of the film. We think we know terrorism but how they operate is the best highlight of the film and the biggest USP is my director. He is the hero of the film,” he added.

Presented by Reliance Entertainment, Holiday... will hit theatres June 6.